Technology for Detection of Chemicals in Extreme Environmental Conditions

With increasing threats to war-fighters and first responders, each individual serving in these roles needs the capability to respond to a wide range of unpredictable conditions. One of these conditions is the presence of toxic chemicals. The technologies for the detection of toxic chemicals can be broken into two general groups: 1. simple-to-use colorimetric paper (such as pH paper or M8 paper), and 2. complex electronic devices (such as the JCAD – the Joint Chemical Agent Detector). Colorimetric paper is simple enough for use by every war-fighter or first responder, but it is not rugged enough for regular field use and responds poorly to relevant agent vapor concentrations. Some electronic devices are designed for field use, but their complex operation, high power demand, high cost and bulkiness make them impractical for use by a large number of war-fighters or first responders. Clearly the need exists for a device to bridge the gap between these two technologies. In this work, new colorimetric sensor chemistries will be developed and validated for performance under harsh environmental conditions and after immersion in salt or freshwater. Sensitivity targets consist of colorimetric response to PEL in 15 minutes or less and one-half IDLH responses in 5 minutes or less.